Geranium plant named ‘Guitroika’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy  Geranium  plant named ‘Guitroika’, characterized by its outwardly spreading and trailing plant habit; freely basal branching habit; freely flowering habit; double light red-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Pelargonium peltatum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Guitroika’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Guitroika’.

The new Ivy Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Saint Malo, France. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely-branching and freely-flowering Ivy Geranium cultivars with attractive foliage and flower coloration.

The new Ivy Geranium originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventors in Saint Malo, France of two unnamed selections of Pelargonium peltatum, not patented. The cultivar Guitroika was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Saint Malo, France.

Asexual reproduction of the new Ivy Geranium by vegetative terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in De Lier, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of this new Ivy Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Guitroika has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Guitroika’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Guitroika’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading and trailing plant habit.     -   2. Freely basal branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Double light red-colored flowers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Ivy Geranium differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in plant size and flower color.

Plants of the new Ivy Geranium can be compared to plants of the Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Meririco, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,245. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Ivy Geranium differed from plants of the cultivar Meririco in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium were more freely branching         than plants of the cultivar Meririco.     -   2. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium had shorter internodes than         plants of the cultivar Meririco.     -   3. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium and the cultivar Meririco         differed in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Ivy Geranium, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Ivy Geranium. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Guitroika’ grown in a hanging basket container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in De Lier, The Netherlands in a glass-covered greenhouse during the winter and early spring and under conditions which closely approximate commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 20° C., night temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 18° C. and light levels ranged from 10,000 lux to 50,000 lux. Plants were about four months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Guitroika. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Pelargonium             peltatum, not patented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Unnamed selection of Pelargonium             peltatum, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 days at             temperatures of 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 10 days at             temperatures of 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two to             three weeks at temperatures of 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About two to             four weeks at temperatures of 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching, moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Outwardly spreading and trailing plant             habit; uniformly mounded; densely foliated.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous to vigorous             growth habit. Freely basal branching habit with about ten             lateral branches per plant.         -   Plant height, to top of umbels.—About 15 cm to 25 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 12 cm to 20 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 5 cm to 20 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm to 6 mm. Internode length: About 3 cm to 6 cm.             Texture: Pubescent. Strength: Moderately strong. Color:             144C. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; simple.         -   Length.—About 5 cm to 8 cm.         -   Width.—About 5 cm to 10 cm.         -   Shape.—Orbicular.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cordate; open.         -   Margin.—Crenate; slightly undulate.         -   Venation pattern.—Palmate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Slightly pubescent.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 143A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 143C. Fully developed, upper             surface: 137A; venation, 143D. Fully developed, lower             surface: 137C to 138A; venation, 143D. Zonation pattern:             Intensity: Moderate. Color: 177A. Petiole: Length: About 3.5             cm to 7 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             143C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement.—Double rotate flowers arranged in             rounded hemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils.             Umbels displayed above the foliage on strong peduncles.             Flowers face upright to outward; flowers mostly flat.             Flowers not persistent. Flowers not fragrant.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering habit; about 20 to 30             flower buds and open flowers per umbel.         -   Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In             the garden in De Lier, The Netherlands, flowering is             continuous from spring until frost in autumn.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about 2 to 14 days             on the plant.         -   Umbel height.—About 4 cm to 7 cm.         -   Umbel diameter.—About 4 cm to 9 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 1.2 cm to 4 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 1.9 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 6 mm to 8 mm. Diameter: About 3             mm to 6 mm. Shape: Broadly elliptic. Color: 143C.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About 5 to 20. Length: About 2             cm to 3.5 cm. Width: About 5 mm to 1 cm. Shape: Lanceolate             to ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             velvety. Color: When opening, upper surface: 47A. When             opening, lower surface: 48B. Fully opened, upper surface:             50B; color becoming closer to 52B with development. Fully             opened, lower surface: 48C.         -   Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: None to about 15. Length:             About 1 mm to 2 cm. Width: About 1 mm to 9 mm. Shape:             Narrowly obovate to irregularly oblanceolate. Apex: Rounded.             Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When opening,             upper and lower surfaces: 47A. Fully opened, upper and lower             surfaces: 50B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five, arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 144A.         -   Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 8 cm to 15 cm.             Diameter: About 3 mm to 4 mm. Strength: Moderately strong.             Angle: Erect to about 30° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: 144A.         -   Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 3 mm to             1.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Strength: Moderately             strong. Angle: Erect to about 90° from vertical. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:             None to about eight. Filament length: About 7 mm. Filament             color: 155A. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape:             Oblong. Anther color: 183A to 183B. Pollen amount: Moderate.             Pollen color: 172C. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower:             One. Pistil length: About 1 cm to 1.5 cm. Stigma shape:             Tapering; reflexed. Stigma color: 50C. Style length: About             3 mm. Style color: 27B. Ovary color: 141C.         -   Seed.—Seed development has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Ivy     Geraniums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have been     observed to tolerate rain, wind, and temperatures ranging from about     0° C. to about 45° C. and have demonstrated good garden performance. 

1. A new and distinct Ivy Geranium plant named ‘Guitroika’ as illustrated and described. 